marvelcomicsfanonfandomcom-20200222-history
The Grandmaster (Earth-11584)
History "I appreciate your candor, Lord Sparkler, so here's the deal. Beat my Grand Champion, and you shall have earned your freedom. Fail...and well you won't be around to deal with your problems anyway." '''The Grandmaster '''is an intergalactic being who resides on an unnamed planet (colloquially known as the "Planet of Lost Things") and formerly was the overseer of a popular competition known as the Contest of Champions. How he came to that planet and how he came to run this contest is unknown, as are many other things about the self-styled Grandmaster (even his real name is unknown, possibly even to himself.) It has been speculated that the Grandmaster is related to the Collector, also known as Taneleer Tivan, due to their similar mannerisms and long lifespans. However, this is purely conjecture. Whenever he arrived at his titular planet, the Grandmaster quickly established the Contest of Champions as one of the most influential sporting events in the known cosmos (though some realms, such as Asgard, had never heard of it before). It is known that the Grandmaster had some dealings with the Kree in recruiting slaves in fighting for him (one of which may have been Yondu Udonta, at one point). The Games became so popular that a city built up around the Grandmaster's stadium, supporting a eclectic number of individuals who made money of the games and/or who didn't want to be found (such as the former valkyrie who became Hunter 147). Grandmaster employed snatchers who recruited champions who wandered into his space, and imposed martial law on the city around his stadium, effectively making him the ruler of a small empire surrounding his planetoid. He also employed Firelord, a former herald of Galactus, as his primary enforcer (though how Firelord came to work for him is not completely certain.) One of the more successful participants in the Contest of Champions was the Korbinite Beta Ray Bill. Upon finding and enslaving the being, Grandmaster struck a bargain with him that he would free him after enough fights (of course failing to say how many fights, and likely having no intention of releasing him at any point.) Staying true to his word, Bill fought several dozen challengers at least, and was victorious over all of them, leading the Contest to have its best ratings up to that point. That changed however when Thor Odinson was brought into the arena to face Beta Ray Bill. The Grandmaster offered Thor the same chance he offered every contender (and with as much sincerity, most likely): Defeat this Grand Champion and earn your freedom. The battle between Thor and Beta Ray Bill was a primarily even affair, interrupted by the untimely intervention of Odin and the inadvertant abduction of Bill from the arena. Incensed, the Grandmaster locked away Thor, intent on recovering his Grand Champion. He eventually sentenced Thor to fight his chief enforcer, Firelord, in the arena, fully expecting the Asgardian to die for his "treachery." However the fight was preempted first by Hunter 147 (also known as Valkyrie) turning on the Grandmaster, as well as the arrival/return of Bill, Balder Odinson, Loki and the Lady Sif. The Grandmaster tried to make a grand exit, turning loose his sentry droids to dispose of the interlopers, only to have his escape cut off by Att-Lass and the other Combatants in the Contest, who rose up and overthrew him. The Grandmaster was last seen congratulating his attendants and Firelord on a revolution well done, seemingly oblivious to his loss of power. Powers & Abilities * Immortality: It has been said that the Grandmaster is virtually immortal, though whether this is a side effect of living on his planet (which seems to slow down time for those who are there long enough) or a power native to him is open for debate. Nevertheless, the Grandmaster is, by his account, millions of years old. * Robotics Expert: The Grandmaster must have some semblance of technical ability, given the impressive robotic droids that were built in his employ. * "Glow Stick of Doom:" A wand that appears to liquify anyone it is used against, though only used for truly heinous crimes, such as defeating the Grandmaster in a card game. Weaknesses The Grandmaster is a sucker for games, and can be goaded into almost any kind of challenge with a wager (though he is not a good loser by any stretch of the imagination.) This weakness could easily be exploited. On top of this, beyond his technical wizardry, the Grandmaster is not a physically imposing individual, and when dethroned was easily dispatched by Att-Lass and the other gladiators in the Contest of Champions. Film Details The Grandmaster appears in the following films within the Earth-11584 continuity. In all cases he is portrayed by actor Jeff Goldblum. * Thor: Ragnarok (2017) Category:Earth-11584 Category:Earth-11584 Characters Category:Bad Characters